Passion, Pedigree & Performance

Breeding the best thoroughbred racehorse is a consuming passion.
Confirmation - balance, bone, athleticism and how the individual horse responses, are taken into account.
Pedigrees and Tesio ratings are extensively studied and sometimes that gut Irish instinct just kicks in.

Duncan Barry, owner of Riverton Stud, says "You just know that it will be the perfect mating!"

Location, Location, Location... Feed and Limited Numbers

Riverton Stud farm lies along the verdant banks of the Breede River near the South African Klein Karoo town of Robertson. The Robertson countryside is home to the top thoroughbred studs in South Africa for a reason. The healthy dry climate and high calcium content of the soil makes Robertson and the BAR Valley the ideal location to breed tough, good boned, high class thoroughbreds in South Africa.

Riverton foals are born in one of several healthy outdoor foaling camps. The climate is condusive to foals being able to take those first tentative steps on grass instead of slipping on the wet straw and cement of a stable. Stables are also wont to harbour germs. Once the mare and her foal have been moved to a larger camp, the grass is watered to wash away the birthing debris. The sun is allowed time to disinfect the foaling camp.

Experience has taught that thoroughbreds thrive best on a natural diet of lucerne and oats. Weather allowing, Duncan prefers to grow his own lucerne so that it can be cut and baled at night when the moisture content is correct for leaf retention and high protein content. 

The number of thoroughbreds at Riverton is strictly limited so that each can receive individual attention. Paddocks are spacious and not overstocked to ensure that the horses aren’t stressed. Horses that are stressed are more susceptible to disease. Paddocks are rotated to ensure that there is always sufficient natural grazing for these magnificent animals. These measures also assist in keeping the paddocks free of parasites.

Riverton does not hothouse their yearlings to achieve artificially bulked up individuals. Lean muscle build-up and a strong heart are achieved by extensive walking of the yearlings through the thick sand tracks along the Breede River. Consequently Riverton has established an excellent reputation for breeding sound, good value for investment yearlings.  

Proper land management to breed strong individuals

The source of supreme bone quality lies in the land.
Proper land management is employed on a continuous basis at Riverton.
Pregnant mares and young thoroughbreds thus receive a diet rich in natural nutrients and minerals.

• The approximate life cycle of a paddock is 20 years.
• Spent paddocks are ripped and ploughed for vine, peach or apricot tree planting.
• During it's time under vine, korog or barley are sewn between the rows during winter and ploughed back to enrich the soil.
• Our Organic Fertilizer is mainly made from stable straw, horse manure, grape pips and Time.
• It takes 3 years for the Organic Fertilizer to be ready to put onto the vines.
• Once the vines are removed lucerne is planted for a few years to put nitrogen back into the soil.
• The land is then seeded to become a paddock again.
• To rest the paddocks during a dry winter selected mares are shipped to a satellite farm with a milder climate and that all important high calcium soil content.
• A complete soil analysis is done on an annual basis.
  

HIGH % OF EARNERS

Despite a small band of thoroughbred yearlings (12 - 15) entering the market each year, Riverton is renowned for it's high percentage of earners.

Riverton Stud has produced top performers like Gr 1 winner & 2010 Equus National Champion 2 Year Old, Link Man; Dual Grade 1 winner (Cape Guineas & Horse Chestnut Stakes) Domino Man; Cardinal Fury who won the richest race in the country; Tales of Bravery; Golden Riviera; Equus nominee Princess Sassi, etc. Internationally, Holdall and Domino Principle have both won the Mauritius Horse Of The Year Award with Sentinel (winner of the Barbe Cup) also having flown the Riverton Stud flag high.

Currently Hard Rock (2011 Cape Racing & Breeding Awards Champion 2 Year Old nominee), Noble Legend and Liquid Motion are worth keeping an eye on.

Art is the beautiful way of doing things,
Science is the effective way of doing things,
Business is the economical way of doing things."
Philosopher, Elbert Hubbard

At Riverton we breed the beautiful way
We carefully monitor the scientific way
and we take the long-term business way